Needed: Love for a Baghdad orphanage
Thirteen-year-old Marwa never cried even when I asked her to relive the night her parents were executed in their home. It surprised me. I wondered how she’d become so tough so quickly.
"Where were you when the gunmen came?" I asked Marwa as we sat together in a classroom in Baghdad's Alwiya Orphanage where she now lives with her two younger sisters Alliya, 10, and Sora, 6.
"I was asleep upstairs when I head the shots," Marwa said. "I ran downstairs and saw my mother. She was shot all over and was dead. My father was barely alive."
Her father died two days later of multiple gunshot wounds.
I swallowed hard and asked what happened after that. 
"We lived with my uncle for about a year, and then came here."
"Why? Why did you have to come here?" I asked. I hated asking the question, but it bothered me that her uncle would send the girls to live in an orphanage. I wanted to know how Marwa rationalized it. She was very matter of fact.
"He couldn't afford to keep us, so he brought us here."
Out of chaos, routine
The orphanage was surprisingly clean and well organized. The girls all looked healthy and reasonably well cared for. Their lives were very regimented.
7:30 a.m. Wake up, followed by breakfast of bread and cheese.
8: 30 a.m. The girls go to school.
12:30 p.m. The girls return to the orphanage for lunch: chicken, rice and soda on the day we were there. (So many of the girls suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders that a caregiver at the orphanage told me they no longer serve drinks like soda at night because too many girls were wetting their beds.)
Alliya Hussein, 10, and Sora Hussein, 6, at Baghdad's Alwiya Orphanage. NBC News, Steve LoMonaco
1:00 p.m. Half-hour playtime or rest.
1:30 p.m. Two hours of extra study in classrooms at the orphanage.
3:30 p.m. a break. Some girls shower… others do laundry
4:00 p.m. Two more hours of study.
6:00 p.m. Free time. The girls can play or watch TV when the electricity works.
9:00 p.m. More chores, and then bedtime.
Little love
The girls we spoke to didn’t complain about all the studying, or the food or anything else I expected them to talk about. Most of all, with amazingly mature self-reflection, they said they were lonely.
All day, the girls would come up and hold my hand. I would talk to one girl and suddenly find another one come up behind me and slip her hand into my palm, or take hold my elbow.
"They need attention and there is no love here in Baghdad," a social worker told me. I hadn’t thought of it before.
Gun shots still
The experience had a profound affect on our entire crew. Our soundman Steve Lomonaco took dozens of pictures. The Nightly News foreign editor ML Flynn suggested that he post some of the pictures and write about what he felt.
I am lucky. I have a venue to talk about what I see and feel. It is a wonderful outlet, a way for me to release some of the stress. I am including some of Steve’s pictures and thoughts in this blog.
Tonight Marwa, Alliya, Sora and the 53 other girls at Baghdad’s Alwiya Orphanage are finishing up their extra studies and trying to go to sleep.
There are still gunshots throughout Baghdad everyday. Marwa said every time she hears the bang of muzzle fire she is reminded of the night her parents were killed. The lingering violence is also playing psychological games on her. Now when Marwa hears gunshots in the streets she said she thinks people are trying to shoot at her.
Girls with a teacher at Baghdad's Alwiya Orphanage. NBC News, Steve LoMonaco
The caregiver was right. Baghdad is a city where there is as little love as peace.
Covering the story
Veteran NBC News’ soundman Steve LoMonaco’s describes covering the story at Baghdad's Alwiya Orphanage:
We walked through a dark hall out to a courtyard where the girls, all orphans, were waiting for lunch.
As soon as we walked into the yard, chaos erupted. The kids rushed over and started to grab our hands, following us everywhere.
They were all saying, "Hay Meester, what’s your name?" They crowded around us everywhere we went. They seemed starved for attention. They were all smiles, but you could see sadness in their eyes.
Our shoot went well, although a little harder then usual because of all the kids jumping around. But it was a lot more enjoyable for the same reason. They all love to pose for pictures.
Most of us carry small digital still cameras, so when we had the chance we took pictures. After you would take a picture, the girls would run up to you so they could see it in the monitor. Then the next one would say, "Hey meester take my picture."
We ended up staying at the orphanage for over four hours and having an unexpectedly fun time.
By the time we left, this grizzled war weary crew was all smiles. Some of us even had thoughts of taking one of them home, but we all hoped that by airing this story it would inspire people to help. And maybe change some of the girls’ lives.
See Richard Engel's full report from Baghdad's Alwiya Orphanage on NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams on Friday evening.
Just another day in Baghdad
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How can I help these girls?
Ronnie Dempsey, Garner, NC (Sent May 26, 2006 4:20:57 PM)
p.s. I can't believe there are no other comments to this blog. Please write back if there is anything I can do to help these beautiful girls.
Kathleen Fallon, Santa Fe, NM (Sent May 26, 2006 4:23:37 PM)
Could you be of any help in arranging for the adoptation of the 2 girls who lost their parents? I with my wife would like to have them as our children here in the US.
Mahdi Saeed, East Lansing, Michigan (Sent May 26, 2006 4:35:54 PM)
Is there any possibilities that these girls can be adopted by a foster parent? My wife and I would be interested in adopting.
Craig (Sent May 26, 2006 4:42:19 PM)
Thank you for this story. What sort of help?
Is there an address that I could send letters of encouragement to. Maybe set up some pen pals?
Is Financial aid needed.
Edith Martin, Mesa, Arizona (Sent May 26, 2006 4:49:55 PM)
Since many in Iraq survive on very little, it seems it wouldn't take that much to 'sponsor' as many of these girls as possible so they could be placed with relatives. They would be so much better off and wouldn't add to their relatives burden.
Brendan (Sent May 26, 2006 5:19:45 PM)
So often we forget about the children. Thank you for bringing it home. For those who can't go the adoption route, what can we do to help them while they are at the orphanage? Are there ways of sending money or items?
Julia, Chicago, IL (Sent May 26, 2006 5:19:49 PM)
How can we help? Is there a contact at the Orphanage to follow up?
Ray Williams, Windsor Locks, CT (Sent May 26, 2006 5:30:04 PM)
Since many in Iraq survive on very little, it seems it wouldn't take that much to 'sponsor' as many of these girls as possible so they could be placed with relatives. They would be so much better off and wouldn't add to their relatives burden.
Brendan (Sent May 26, 2006 5:47:40 PM)
Please provide contact information for the orphanage.
Scott B. (Sent May 26, 2006 5:58:26 PM)
Please tell us how we can help these kids.
Asif Bashir (Sent May 26, 2006 6:01:21 PM)
If I understand correctly, Adoption by foreigners is not permited. I am an OIF Veteren, and I am always looking for ways to assist Iraqi's. Please provide more information for us to provide help, love or anything else we can give. It is not just those brave girls, but throughout Iraq. Children living in garbage, and running through sewage in bare feet. The people of Iraq need genuine help, so please let us follow up.
Thank you,
Jeremy Grisham, Seattle, WA (Sent May 26, 2006 6:09:11 PM)
Reading this story makes me wonder, where do the boys go? Is there a separate orphanage for them? Do they split girls and boys up in the same family? I am interested in the boys orphanage and opportunities to help. I've enjoyed reading everyone's blog.
Diana Welsch, Austin, Texas (Sent May 26, 2006 7:02:17 PM)
This is the U.S. State Departments answers to some of our questions about adoption from Iraqi. http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_401.html
Will William, Belle Chasse, LA (Sent May 27, 2006 8:56:37 AM)
I own several summercamps in Maine. They are well established and well known. We have the ability to welcome many (perhaps all) of the orphans this summer.
The camps are both single sex and coed, ages 7-15. Americans and Europeans
We also have the ability to pay for their transportation and support (translators, etc),and perhaps the government connections to obtain visas
Can you give us a contact so the specific orpanage could be approached? I'd love to give the girls a chance to feel something else.
Jeffrey Los Angeles CA and Bridgeton ME (Sent May 27, 2006 12:25:24 PM)
I also was very deeply touched by your news report. This morning I shared it with my wife, who wasn't able to watch it last night and of course, she too was effected by it. I think that overtime we have tended to become emotionally distanced from the day to day heartache and tragedy of Iraq. The girls of the Alwiya orphanage have helped give us an awakened awareness of what war does to children. Please give us more information about the orphanage and how we can help these children.
Terry & Nancy Reddish, Battle Ground, Wa (Sent May 27, 2006 12:56:41 PM)
Your story of the orphaned girls was extremely moving for me and my husband. As parents ourselves, it breaks our hearts to think of children growing up without love. You have inspired us to step up and make a difference. We are strongly interested in adopting a child (or more) from this orphanage (or another). I am unsure if foreigners are allowed to adopt children from Iraq. Even if adoption is not an option, we would love to contribute in anyway possible. Please provide us with contact information for the orphanage or a charitable foundation that could assist. Please do not leave all of these offers of help with no avenue to make a difference. Finishe the job you started and provide us with way to help!
Bridget & Bob B., St. Louis, MO (Sent May 27, 2006 5:15:45 PM)
Very touching story and very artfully done.
I would like to adopt one or two of these girls.
Please contact me with some information how I can go about doing this.
F.Ned Dikmen (Sent May 27, 2006 8:47:37 PM)
Your story last night brought me to tears, it is so important to show what’s happening over there. I am organizing a lecture/open forum to discuss the civilian situation over in Iraq this July and I would love to be able to have info on how to help these orphans for my event. Also is it possible to play the news story there?
Amina Al-Sadi, Mukilteo, WA (Sent May 27, 2006 8:52:53 PM)
*************Richard, thank you so much for your piece on the orphanage. Please provide ways we can help. If you could please also provide names of other orphanages, that would be great too, because the last thing we want is for these deserving sweet girls to get all the emails and care packages, while other equally sweet and innocent boys and girls who's orphanage happened to not have been featured, go without any attention. A list of orphanages with the number of kids and their ages would be wonderful. PLEASE reply promptly********************
Haleh, Williamsburg VA (Sent May 27, 2006 10:19:02 PM)
My 88 year old mother came crying into my room last night after your story aired about the "girls' orphanage"; later before she went to bed she again cried about the orphanage and said there must be something we can do. I asked her if she remembered another Arab little orphan girl whose picture and story appeared in a 1958 story out of Lebanon after Ike had sent in our Military. My father inquired as best he could about the possiblity of adopting that little girl. She remembered the incident but was still so unsettled-perhaps haunted is a better term- that early this morning, she stated emphatically that maybe we don't have much money or perhaps our age would prelude us from adopting these girls but we must do everything we can to help them. Of course, she never said the unsaid -- that because her family is from Lebanon we have the insight needed to help these girls. Please send any information you have on the orphanage. Thanks
By the way your Arabic is flawless but can you do the Arab man mannerisms too. It is so hard to see the "GIs" struggling with the basics. Since Peter Jennings passing you are the jouralist with the clearest insight into the Middle East situation. God be with you and safe home.
Sissie Curtin, Vienna, Va (Sent May 28, 2006 12:09:33 AM)
Hello again.
Here is a link to State Department take on Iraqi adoptions.
I personally don't think Iraqi' families (if given the choice) will allow adoption of their kids. If they do, they will most likely allow it to Moslem/Arabic speaking families. There is a large Iraq-American community in the US, it might be best to work through those established Iraqi-American groups to push the issue and eventually allow adoption to US-Iraqi families.
The other point, forgive my brutal honesty, is if Iraqis want their occupiers and invaders to adopt their children.
I can be wrong, but wanted to put that thought out anyway.
Thanks, and I hope my post offer some help.
Peace
MT , Seattle, Washington (Sent May 28, 2006 2:20:10 PM)
Can you please give more info about how these girls and others can be helped. Is international adoption an option to keep them together and provide all that they need and let them grow up as kids should. My husband is in the military and was in Iraq. I did not know about the orphanages but after seeing your story I would open my home and heart to these children without hestitation.
Nikki C (Sent May 28, 2006 7:03:06 PM)
Great story! I would love to adopt all three girls that were featured in the orphanage story. Please do a follow up story telling American viewers how we can help the children mentioned in the orphanage story as well as help children in other orphanages in Iraq. Keep up the good work and please stay safe.
Kathy S. Quinn, Columbia, SC (Sent May 28, 2006 9:38:08 PM)
Information please on adoptions of Iraqi orphans?
Helen Fields,Louisville,Ky. (Sent May 28, 2006 10:57:51 PM)
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